Apparatus for controlling rolling of watercraft



July 22, 1969 w. R|EP RICH 3,456,612

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ROLLING OF WATERCRAFT Filed Jan. 17, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [4/1 Q/e a/v'ch yw'm y (Me,

A #o/wey July 1 w. RIEPRICH 3,456,612

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ROLLING 0F WATERCRAFT Filed Jan. 17, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor.- bUlY/y 4 1/5 or/e41 @w/,-M 5mm H r ey United States Patent U.S. Cl. 114126 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The shafts of bilge keels in a watercraft are rotatable in inner housings each of which is rotatable about a vertical axis in an outer housing installed in one side of the hull. A first drive is automatically coupled with a shaft when the respective keel is moved with the inner housing from a retracted position in which it is accommodated in the respective outer housing to an extended position in which it extends laterally from the respective side of the hull. A second drive is permanently coupled with an inner housing and serves to move the respective keel between extended and retracted positions. A guide rail prevents rotation of a shaft during movement of the respecti-ve keel from and back to extended position to insure that the associated first drive is automatically coupled with the shaft when the keel assumes the extended position.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to watercraft in general, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for controlling or retarding rolling of watercraft. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in means for supporting and adjusting the position of bilge keels on watercraft.

Bilge keels are mounted along a ships bilge, one at each side below the water line, and are customarily mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis to change the inclination of their planes with reference to the water surface.

It is already known to mount the shaft of a bilge keel in a housing which is rotatable about a vertical axis. The inclination of the keel is adjusted in response to rotation of the shaft and the keel can be moved into the interior of the hull in response to rotation of the housing with reference to the hull. The drive which effects rotation of the shaft normally comprises a hydraulic vane motor which is installed in the housing coaxially with the keel. A serious drawback of such apparatus is that it is quite difiicult and expensive to insure satisfactory insulation of the motor against penetration of water and to provide leakproof supply lines between a source of hydraulic fluid and the motor. As a rule, the connection comprises conduits which extend through one pivot of the housing and which consist of elastic material so that they cannot be subjected to very high pressures. Such apparatus are costly, difficult-to-seal, and prone to malfunction.

It is also known to provide a watercraft with bilge keels which can be rotated with their shafts by means of hydraulic cylinders mounted in the interior of the hull. The means for rotating the housing for the shaft of the keel comprises a link train or a similar mechanical motion transmitting system which comprises a substantial number of parts occupying a large amount of space and requiring frequent maintenance.

It is an object of my invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus for controlling the rolling of watercraft, and to provide such apparatus with novel and improved means for effecting movements of bilge keels.

3,456,612 Patented July 22, 1969 "Ice Another object of the invention is to provide a watercraft wherein the means for moving the bilge keels with reference to their housings and for moving such housings with reference to the hull occupy less room and are more rugged and much simpler than the corresponding parts of conventional apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel drive means for effecting movements of keel shafts with reference to their housings and for effecting movements of such housings with reference to the hull of a watercraft.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the sensitive parts of drives for the bilge keels can be sealed against entry of water in a simple and space-saving manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above outlined character with keels which can be fully concealed in the hull and which are automatically coupled with means for adjusting their inclination when caused to move out of the hull.

One feature of my invention resides in the provision of a watercraft which is equipped with two apparatus for controlling rolling of the hull. Each such apparatus comprises an outer housing or casing which is mounted in and adjacent to one side of the hull, an inner housing which is turnable in the outer housing about a substantially vertical axis, a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in and having end portions extending from the inner housing, a bilge kneel afiixed to one end portion of the shaft and movable with the inner housing about the vertical axis between an extended and a concealed or retracted position in which it respectively extends laterally of the hull and is at least partially accommodated in the outer housing, a first drive which can rotate the shaft to change the inclination of the keel in extended position, a second drive which can rotate the inner housing with reference to the outer housing, and guide means for holding the shaft against rotation with reference to the inner housing excepting when the keel is moved to extended position to thus insure that the shaft is properly coupled with the first drive in such extended position of the keel. The guide means preferably includes an arcuate rail which is fixedly mounted in the hull or in the outer housing and can extend into a slot provided in a female clutch element rigid with the other end portion of the shaft. Such slot can receive a rotary male clutch element of the first drive when the keel returns to extended position.

The second drive preferably includes a motor-driven male coupling member which extends into a non-circular recess of a female coupling member provided on the inner housing.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus which embodies my invention with the bilge keel shown in extended position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line A-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the apparatus, the concealed position of the keel being indicated by phantom lines; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line C-D of FIG. 1 or 3.

Description of the preferred embodiment The drawing illustrates one of two apparatus for controlling the roll of a hull H which is indicated in FIG. 3 by a phantom line. Since the two apparatus are of identical design and are preferably mirror symmetrical with reference to the central longitudinal vertical symmetry plane of the watercraft, the drawing merely shows one of these apparatus. The illustrated apparatus comprises an outer housing 7 which is built into one side of the hull H below the water line and is partially open at its outer side so that it permits movements of a bilge keel between extended or operative and retracted or concealed positions in which the keel respectively extends laterally of the hull (as shown in FIG. 3 by solid lines) and is accommodated in the interior of the outer housing (as shown in FIG. 3 by phantom lines, as at 5').

The outer housing 7 accommodates an inner housing or hearing block 1 which is turnable therein about a substantially vertical axis. The outer housing 7 is provided or is rigidly connected with two coaxial bearing sleeves 7a, 7b which respectively receive two hollow cylindrical extensions 2, 3 of the inner housing 1. Water-lubricated plastic bearings 8, 9 are respectively interposed between the extensions 2, 3 and bearing sleeves 7a, 7b to prevent penetration of water into the interior of the extensions. The keel 5 is rigidly secured to one end portion of a substantially horizontal shaft 4 which is rotatable in the inner housing 1 in antifriction bearings 10, 11 and whose other end portion extends beyond the inner housing and into the outer housing 7. This other end portion of the shaft 4 carries a female clutch element 6 which has a diametral slot 6a (FIG. 4) located in the central symmetry plane of the keel 5 and adapted to receive a male clutch element 6b forming part of a first drive which serves to adjust the inclination of the keel 5 by changing the angular position of the shaft 4 with reference to the inner hous ing 1. When the keel 5 is moved to the extended position shown in FIG. 3 by solid lines, the male clutch element 6b extends into the slot 6a of the female clutch element 6 and its axis then coincides with the axis of the shaft 4. The aforementioned first drive further includes a shaft member 12 which is mounted in an oil-lubricated roller bearing 17 provided in the housing 7 and in a water-lubricated plastic bearing 18 located nearer to the clutch element 6b than the bearing 17. The shaft member 12 can be driven by an electric motor (not shown) through the intermediary of a belt transmission 13 or the like. The purpose of the drive including the parts 6, 6a, 6b, 12, 13 is to rotate the shaft 4 with reference to the inner housing 1 and to thus change the inclination of the keel 5.

A second drive of the illustrated apparatus serves to rotate the inner housing 1 with reference to the outer housing 7 in order to move the keel 5 between the retracted and extended positions. This second drive includes a vertical shaft member 14 which is rotatable in an oillubricated roller bearing 19 provided therefor in the outer housing 7 and in a water-lubricated plastic bearing 20-. The latter is installed nearer to the upper extension 2 than the bearing 19. The second drive further comprises a male coupling member 15 of other than circular outline which extends into a complementary bore or recess 15a in the upper extension 2, i.e., this upper extension constitutes a female coupling member which reecives torque from the shaft member 14 by way of the male coupling member 15. The coupling members 2, 15 are in permanent engagement with each other.

In order to move the keel 5 from the extended to the retracted position, it is necessary to first move the shaft 4 into a predetermined angular position in which the slot 6a of the female clutch element 6 is preferably located in a substantially horizontal plane. If the inner housing 1 is then rotated by shaft member 14 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, the female clutch element 6 travels along a fixed guide rail 16 which is mounted in the ou er housing 7 and serves to p event hang in angular position of the shaft 4 excepting when the latters axis coincides with the axis of the shaft member 12. The guide rail 16 extends into the slot 6a in all such angular positions of the extensions 2, 3 in which the axis of the shaft 4 is out of line with the axis of the shaft member 12, i.e., when the keel 5 is moved away from extended position. During rotation of the inner housing 1 in order to move the keel 5 from the extended position to the retracted position 5' or vice versa, the extensions 2, 3 turn with the shaft member 14 through an angle of about degrees. The clutch element 6b automatically enters the slot 611 when the keel 5 reassumes its extended position. It is preferred to provide the clutch element 6 with a slot 6a of constant width which corresponds to the thickness of the rail 16.

The axis of the coupling including the members 2, 15 is preferably located in a common plane with the axis of the keel 5 to avoid undue stressing of the second drive when the keel 5 is caused to change its inclination in response to rotation of the shaft member 12.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling rolling of the hulls of watercraft comprising an outer housing provided at one side of the hull; an inner housing turnable in said outer housing about a substantially vertical axis; a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably journalled in and having end portions extending from said inner housing; a keel aflixed to one end portion of said shaft and turnable with said inner housing between an extended position in which it extends laterally from the hull and a retracted position at least partially accommodated in said outer housing; drive means for rotating said shaft and said keel with reference to said inner housing and including a female clutch element provided on the other end portion of said shaft and having a diametrical slot, and a rotary male clutch element in said outer housing coaxial with said shaft and received in said slot when said keel is in said extended position; and guide means comprising a fixed arcuate rail which extends into said slot when the keel leaves said extended position to hold the-shaft against rotation with reference to said inner housing.

2. Apparatus for controlling rolling of the hulls of watercraft comprising an outer housing provided at one side of the hull; an inner housing turnable in said outer housing about a substantially vertical axis; a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably journalled in and having end portions extending from said inner housing; a keel affixed to one end portion of said shaft and turnable with said inner housing between an extended position in which it extends laterally from the hull and a retracted position at least partially accommodated in said'outer housing; drive means for rotating said shaft and said keel with reference to said inner housing and including cooperating first and second clutch elements respectively provided on the other end portion of said shaft and in said outer housing to engage with each other in extended position of said keel; guide means cooperating with said shaft to hold the latter against rotation with reference to said inner housing when the keel leaves said extended position; and second drive means for rotating said inner housing with reference to said outer housing and including interengaging first and second coupling members respectively provided on said inner and outer housings and a shaft member for rotating said second coupling member, said first coupling member having a recess of other than circular outline and said second coupling member extending into said recess to transmit torque to said first coupling member in response to rotation about said vertical axis.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means further comprises a shaft member connected with said male clutch element and coaxial with said first menq tioned shaft in extended position of said keel.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said outer housing comprises two bearing sleeves whose axes coincide with said vertical axis and said inner housing comprises two coaxial extensions each rotatably received in one of said sleeves, one of said extensions constituting said first coupling member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising second drive means for rotating said inner housing with reference to said outer housing, each of said drive means comprising a shaft member rotatably journalled in said outer housing and oil-lubricated antifriction bearing means provided in said outer housing for said shaft members.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising water-lubricated plastic bearing means provided in said outer housing for each of said shaft members upstream of said first mentioned bearing means.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said outer housing comprises two coaxial bearing sleeves and said inner housing comprises two extensions each rotatable in one of said sleeves, and further comprising water-lubricated plastic bearings interposed between said sleeves and the respective extensions.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means further comprises a shaft member coaxial with said first mentioned shaft in extended position of said keel and rigid with said male clutch element, and transmission means installed in the hull for rotating said shaft member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,942,570 6/ 1960 Kollenberger 114-126 3,036,540 5/1962 Gregor 114126 3,167,361 1/1965 Snapp et a1 3088 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner 

